News

🚨 CAMP SPACE FOR DMWTD SUMMER CAMPS - UPDATE 🚨 Don't Mess with the Don has two exciting summer camps coming up this summer (2!) Our amazing Paddling Camp, ages 12 to 16, returns for another year of Kayaking, Paddle Boarding and this year we have added Canoeing. Youth will have the opportunity to have the best time on the water while helping the environment. We will paddle out of our Cherry Beach Hub and visit Toronto Islands, Tommy Thompson Park and Bildaasige Park. Weeks one and two are full but we are thinking of adding a third week if there is interest. August 4 to 6 will be week 3 and you can sign up in the link in our profile. Sign up is open until Friday June 12th at 11:59 pm. If more than 15 youth register, we will hold a lottery at that time. If you are already registered for one of our other camps, please give others a chance. There are also 5 spots open for week two of our WILD Summer Camp - August 10 - 14th. Ages 11 - 14 Register in the link in our profile. Our WILD Summer Camp is an environmental based camp for youth 11 - 14 years old that runs for two full weeks each summer. The camp is from 8:30 to 4:30 each day. This summer camp experience is for 15 youth (a new group for each of the two weeks) aged 11-14. The camp is a full day, 5 days a week camp centered around environmental issues including human impacts of plastic pollution and trash in our ravines and waterways. The WILD program participants will have the opportunity to join the leaders and experts with our Paddle and ProtectKayaking/Canoeing/Paddle Boarding program that will allow them to learn to paddle, experience nature from the water and most importantly help restore Toronto's waterways through clean ups and trash/plastics data collection. Youth will get a chance to work with our Mtn Biking and Trail Running teams to learn about minimal impact trails and building in harmony with nature. •Week one - July 6 - 10- FULL •Week two - Aug 10 - 14 - 5 spots left ❤️ DMWTD - all of our programs are free

What does a semi typical day look like for DMWTD in June? 🤔 Yesterday, Thursday June 4th looked like this ⬇️ DMWTD's stewardship team hosted a group event with 21 people from an architectural firm and spent the morning removing invasive species and 🪏 restoring habitat. Then we were back for our second visit to Dunlace PS with three kindergarten classes filling planters with native plants 🌱 that the kids had grown for all the wonderful pollinators. 🐝 Then at 5 pm we were out on the single track 🏃 trails with the final of four weeks of trail running with the youth, 11 - 14 years of age, doing an awesome 8 kms with Craig's Cookies (@craigscookies) 🍪 and Gatorade for treats. Simultaneously, we hosted a group paddle for Toronto Climate Week and cleaning trash from Biidaasige Park 🦉. Then we fell asleep and slept soundly 🛌 for many hours. Our volunteers are so great, ok like really great. ❤️ DMWTD - A registered Canadian Charity #dontmesswtihthedon #maketheworldbetterforcricket #paddleandprotect #stewardship #volunteeringintoronto

Call out for Paddling support volunteers for our 2026 Paddle & Protect/Kayaking/ Canoeing/Paddle Boarding season. Do you love to paddle, protect the environment and want to help others do the same? We paddle to Toronto Islands, Bildaasige and Tommy Thompson as well as special events. We are looking for volunteers to help with the paddling programs and it can be as few or as many hours as you can give. Great perks like after hours access to our boats and socials like BBQs. Please send us an email at info@dontmesswiththedon.ca. This Sunday at 10 am at our Cherry Beach paddle centre we have our orientation and BBQ ( Pancakes with blueberries) if you are interested. The paddling season starts June 14th ‼️ ❤️ 🌊 DMWTD

DVP Clean Up Queen Street Location May 31st, 2026 #dontlitter #dontmesswiththedon #dvpcleanup #garbagecleanup #volunteeringintoronto

Good People aren't hard to find, they are right around the corner and oh so kind, it's true. We'd like to spend some time with you, ooh ooh ooh. 🕺 130 really Good People cleaned 300 bags of trash and 6000 pounds of rubbish from the DVP today. At Queen Street , Danforth, Taylor Creek and Rainbow 🌈 Tunnel, red DMWTD shirts were everywhere showing Toronto how good this city is. Thank you to the folks who pulled sludgy gross plastics out of the mud, thank you to those who pried old tires from the ground, thank you to the kids who make us all so proud and the parents and grandparents who make us even prouder. The 4th annual DVP clean up is in the books 📚 and what a great story it was. You are the sunny day, the hard work, the hero saving the world and the happy ending. DMWTD volunteers are legends and we love spending time with you, ooh ooh ooh There ain't no place that we'd rather be, Then here right now, with good people. 🫂 L👀K AT THESE NUMBERS and it is only May 31st Year to date: •Number of clean ups - 132 •Number of bags - 2354 •Amount of trash removed - 44,500 pounds ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity #dontlitter #dontmesswiththedon #dvpcleanup #garbagecleanup #volunteeringintoronto 📸 13 and 16 - Kinga J. 📸 20 - Tim 📸 Thank you to everyone else for your contributions!

This is Biidaasige Park today. DMWTD did a kayak clean up in Biidaasige as part of Toronto Tech Week. An absolutely beautiful park shining with incredible native plants, fanciful art and joyous play areas. The Don River's new water course is wonderful yet today DMWTD volunteers in just a shortly while, cleaned thousands of pieces of plastics. Numerous large styrofoam icebergs floated in the river patiently fragmenting into billions of tiny pieces, multi-packs of plastic water bottles nestled in the reeds and rushes. We used strainers to scoop piles of tiny plastics and micro plastics into bags. Humanity has overseen a profound transformation "a shift from a culture defined by it's production to a culture defined by it's waste" In 2025, DMWTD led over 60 clean ups of Toronto's waterways including numerous clean ups of Biidaasige. We have scooped lazy pools of toxic plastics swirling amongst the reeds and rushes, picked up 1000's of plastic water bottles floating everywhere. Over 1000 people joined our guided clean ups for a chance to paddle a stunningly beautiful park for FREE with paddles, kayaks, PFD's and snacks all provided and in turn these awesome DMWTD humans did their part to save our planet. In 2026, DMWTD hopes to have a much bigger impact with 12 new canoes and 30 new kayaks. For over 6 months, we have been negotiating/pleading with the City and various agencies that oversee Biidaasige for a small place to store 20 kayaks in or near the park. For free, we clean the trash and plastics, for free we have guided scouts, Parks and Rec Camps, Groups from U of T, TMU and other schools, corporate groups, city staff and so many others on paddles and clean ups. Still we wait and hope for a spot to store our boats so we don't have to carry, drive by trailer and lug all this equipment from Cherry Beach. Our fingers and paddles are crossed that these partners can find a solution for 2026. DMWTD is a registered charity - over 425,000 of trash and plastics cleaned from our waterways and ravines since 2018

MTB - May 30th, 2026 • First Ride of the Season!

DMWTD programs are going strong in so many places. Our youth trail running just finished up it's 3rd week tonight and we have explored so many trails and seen so many cool animals like Milk Snakes. 25 youth are getting the chance to learn all about trail running and the amazing ecosystems in the Don. Project Buckthorn just finished up week three with one more week to go. This amazing program, partnering with Toronto Nature Stewards and the City of Toronto's Urban Forestry, has operated in Sunnybrook Park for the past 4 years. Project Buckthorn has restored large areas in SunnyBrook and removed over 12,000 invasive Buckthorn. Our Mountain Biking kicks off its third year this Saturday from our new location at the back of the Science Centre. Our Stewardship program has welcomed Scouts and Cubs, TDSB classes, Corporate partners over the past couple weeks. The canoes for the new Canoeing program arrive June 10th and the Paddle and Protect Program hits the water June 14. We have delayed it a week due to the colder spring. ‼️This Sunday, May 31st at 8 am is our 4th annual DVP Clean Up and we are still looking for a few more volunteers to help with this awesome event.‼️ You can register for any one of the four locations via the link in our profile and help remove plastics and trash from the Don Valley. Keep it out of our environment, out of our ravines and out of our waterways. ❤️ DMWTD - A registered Canadian Charity 📸 2 and 3 @spsymes 📸 4,5, and 6 Kinga J.

Hi Everyone 👋 Unfortunately due to the rain ☔️ and high winds 💨 forecasted for tomorrow we are cancelling the kayak and land clean up scheduled for Cherry Beach and Tommy Thompson Park. We are going to reschedule this great event. DMWTD has had a busy clean up week with two big clean ups. Last Saturday, we joined with Toronto Police Services from 51 Division and Councillor Chris Moise to do a wonderful community clean up of Moss Park. This past Wednesday, DMWTD partnered with Amazon Web Services for the 3rd year for a huge clean up of Rosedale Valley Road which pulled nearly 2000 pounds of trash from RVR. Next Sunday from 8 - 10:30 am is our big clean of the DVP! Hundreds of volunteers come out to clean the DVP from Queen Street to the 401. It is Toronto's BIGGEST clean up. We would really love to have you, your family and friends, and any groups join us for this amazing event. Everything is provided including snacks. Sign up in the link in our profile. L👀K AT THESE NUMBERS... Year to date: •Number of clean ups - 130 •Number of bags - 2044 •Amount of trash removed - 38,300 pounds ❤️ DMWTD - A registered Canadian Charity

‼️ DON VALLEY PARKWAY CLEAN UP - Year 4 ‼️ May 31st - 8:00 am - 10:30 am Come join DMWTD for the largest clean up in the city and most likely in the country. Every year when the DVP closes for the charity bike ride, DMWTD volunteers come out to clean the Parkway from the lake to the 401. Come on out and join a couple hundred friends and neighbours for the fastest two hours on the DVP. Choose from one of 5 locations - York Mills, Rainbow Tunnel, Taylor Creek, Danforth and Queen Street. Register in the link in our profile. See you on the DVP 👋 ❤️ DMWTD - A registered Canadian Charity

Don't Mess with the Don has two exciting summer camps and registration is now open. Our WILD Summer Camp is an environmental based camp for youth 11 - 14 years old that runs for two full weeks each summer. The camp is from 8:30 to 4:30 each day. This summer camp experience is for 15 youth (a new group for each of the two weeks) aged 11-14. The camp is a full day, 5 days a week camp centered around environmental issues including human impacts of plastic pollution and trash in our ravines and waterways. Participants will learn about environmental conditions and habitat through restoration including invasive species removal and education as well as learn about native plants. Youth will help improve access and enjoyment of natural spaces through trail building and repair. Youth will create art projects that focus on important local and global issues such as habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. The WILD program participants will have the opportunity to join the leaders and experts with our Paddle and Protect Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddle Boarding program that will allow them to learn to paddle, experience nature from the water and most importantly help restore Toronto's waterways through clean ups and trash/plastics data collection. Week 1 - July 6 - 10 Week 2 - Aug 10 - 14 SIGN UP LINK IN OUR PROFILE Paddling/Kayaking Environmental camp for youth 12- 15 years of age. This camp runs out of Cherry Beach. This camp has 15 spots for an exciting 3 days of Kayaking, Canoeing and and Paddle Boarding to the new Biidaasige Park and Toronto Islands. This camp will also be having a BBQ and beach games day. A water clean up as well. We have lifeguards and great staff for this new program. 8:30 - 4:30 pm. Week 1 - July 13 - 15 Week 2 - August 17 - 19 SIGN UP LINK IN OUR PROFILE Remember all DMWTD programs are free! ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity

DMWTD is partnering with our great friends at 51 Division (@tps51div) this Saturday, May 16th, at 11 am for a clean up of Moss Park and the surrounding neighbourhood. We will have everything you need - gloves, bags, pickers and snacks. Cheers DMWTD

📰 MAY NEWSLETTER IS NOW OUT 📰 Subscribe to our newsletter at dontmesswiththedon.ca to get it delivered straight to your inbox 📧

1377 bags of trash - over 24,000 pounds of trash collected in 120 TRASH GRABS We are so thrilled and thankful to the DMWTD community. The first year of our fundraising trash grabs is nearly complete - we have a few still trickling in (it's not too late). At $5 a bag from our sponsors that's $6,885 raised for our community programs. Kayaking, Summer Camps, trail running, mtn biking, art, stewardship, canoeing, paddle boarding, clean ups are all free and all benefit from your efforts. Thanks to the more than 1000 people who cleaned the neighbourhoods, parks, ravines, shorelines and small space we all love. Clean ups all over the city but also in Italy 🇮🇹 , France 🇫🇷 , other parts of Ontario and even the Yucatan in 🇲🇽 . 🤩 Wow, just wow. 🤩 9 schools participated, businesses, scout and beaver groups, mtn bikers, trail runners and partners like Patagonia (@patagoniatoronto)and Fjallraven (@fjallravenofficial). The winner 🏆 of the Fjallraven Backpacks 🎒 is Cindy Tram and her group who pick up 10 bags of trash at Gordon A. Brown MS. This will be our big annual fundraising event each spring and next year we hope to claim the whole $25,000 that was available. We have clean ups and events happening many times each week and it is only going to get busier with Youth Trail Running, Mountain Biking, Kayaking, Canoeing all starting up in the next few weeks. The next big event is of course the DVP clean up. On May 31st, DMWTD volunteers will clean up the DVP from Queen St to the 401. Our 4th year on the Parkway - also Wow. Sign up in the link in our profile. 👀 LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS: Year to date: ➡️ Number of clean ups - 128 ➡️Number of bags - 1933 ➡️Amount of trash removed - 35,900 pounds ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity #dontlitter #dontmesswiththedon #garbagecleanup #trashgrab #volunteeringintoronto

DMWTD has been busy and everywhere in the valley the last two weeks. This apart from the two big Earth day Events on April 26th which had over 150 people and cleaned 4500 pounds of trash. DMWTD : ✅ Hosted the grade 6's from Rolph Road PS for stewardship - Buckthorn removal and invasive species work - amazing group. ✅ Hosted Manulife for a clean up of Rosedale Valley Road - 35 bags of trash ✅ Hosted RBC for a clean up of the old railway under the Bloor Viaduct - 40 bags ✅ Hosted Tetrapak for a clean up of Sunnybrook Park - over 50 bags ++++ ✅ At Todmorden Mills for our very popular Art from Invasives workshop ✅ Hosted Tuner & Townsend for a Stewardship Event ✅ Hosted TMX - Toronto Stock Exchange for a clean up in the Portlands and Biidaasige Park - 60 bags ✅ Had our first ever 🦝TRASH GRAB PIZZA PARTY 🍕 with our best friends at Patagonia Toronto (@patagoniatoronto 💕)- 30 bags of trash and the best time ever. Thank you to all these groups for coming out and giving back. You are all awesome and we love all the great partnerships we have with schools, companies and community partners. We have compiled all the trash grab info we have received but more is still trickling in. If you have not sent in your location pin, photo and number of bags, please do so asap. We will do the draw tonight for the Fjallraven backpacks 🎒 🧹 Our DVP clean up registration is live and we are so excited for the 4th year of this amazing event - sign up now - link is in our profile. 📊 We will update all the stats soon. 🗞️ May newsletter on its way. ❤️DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity 📸 thank you to whomever took photos 10, 11, 12 & 14

Project Buckthorn Returns Monday May 4th at 5 pm for four weeks. DMWTD and TNS (@torontonaturestewards) have partnered with City of Toronto Urban Forestry over the last four years to remove over 10,000 invasive Buckthorn trees. We use extractigators, snips and old-fashioned hard work to pull out the entire tree and its root system to clear this highly invasive tree and create space for native trees and plants. We have seen Trilliums, Jack in the Pulpits and many other wonderful native pants return and rebound with the new light and space we have created. Come join us Mondays at 5 pm in Sunnybrook Park - Parking lot # 3. We have all the tools, great stewards to lead and support you, drinks and snacks and a joy of stewardship. No pre-registration necessary ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity

🦝 TRASH GRABS EVERYWHERE!!!!🦝 Hi Everyone 👋 We have been receiving so many great Trash Grab photos and data. You are all awesome. We had a big day of rain ☔️ on Saturday and that caused us to postpone our cleanup at the Brick Works and we know there were a lot of Trash Grabs scheduled for Saturday. We are extending the deadline for Trash Grabs until May 2nd. We are blown away by all the amazing cleanups you have done. All over our fair City and as far away as Paris, Italy, the Caribbean, and Kitchener. Please send us your trash grab photos 📸, location pins📍and the number #️⃣ of bags to: 📧 info@dontmesswiththedon.ca We have so many events going on, newsletters to create, kayaks to get delivered and schools to visit, it will take us a while to compile all the data. We will do the draw for the Fjallraven backpacks on Sunday. Thank you to the over 200 Trash Grabs that you are doing and have done. ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity 📸 2 and 3 taken by @merxad 📸 10 taken by Kinga J. 📸 17 taken by Judy C. #dontlitter #dontmesswiththedon #garbagecleanup #trashgrab

🌎Earth Day 🌎 @ ET Seton Park - April 26th, 2026 THANK YOU EVERYONE! WE LOVE YOU!

More photos from Earth Day and the ☀️Sun Valley☀️ Stewardship event. 📸 Taken by the wonderful and talented Stephen G.

This is the lead 📰 - 4500 pounds of trash collected in one morning by 120 volunteers and another 35 volunteers removed invasive species and restored ecosystems nearby in the Don Valley. This is the story - Today, 155 people believed that their actions and the actions of their children would be meaningful. They believed that they wouldn't be the only ones who showed up. They came out because they knew that it was worth their time and effort to give back to their community. We feel great comfort, hope and inspiration when we can stand side by side with others as a community. That invisible yet deep bond of community is the story. We are in this together. A great poet once said - "Nobody wins unless everybody wins". What Bruce 🎸means is we are connected to each other and that community is vital, never more so than today. Thank you to the volunteers, to the partners, the friends, the kids, the parents, the strangers who are now friends, to our organizers and lead volunteers and to the community that is so deep and so strong in the City of Toronto and in DMWTD. We will be updating all the TRASH GRAB data that has been coming in. That is so great and you rock🗿. The next really big cleanup (lots of regular cleanups all the time) is the DVP cleanup on May 31st. Registration is open, link is in our profile. Our May newsletter is coming soon and it will be much easier to read - feedback noted 📝. For the 4th year, yes 4th year !, we will be cleaning the entire DVP from Queen 👑 Street to the 401. Yes that is wild. ❤️ DMWTD—a kinda awesome and a registered Canadian Charity #dontlitter #dontmesswiththedon #garbagecleanup #maketheworldbetterforcricket #volunteeringintoronto